Reversible turnout



April 1951 J. B. HASKE LL 2,550,654

' REVERSIBLE TURNOUT Filed April 22, 1946 1; FL r| fi 14 I 7 16 g 7 11 f 12 fig 10 14 l 9' 1s 18 1 R v If I If WE Ll IN V EN TOR.

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ATTO/F/VEYJ Patented Apr. 24, 1951 REVERSIBLE TURNOUT James B. Haskell, Huntington, W. Va., assignor to West Virginia Steel and Manufacturing Company, Huntington, W. Va., a corporation .of West Virginia Application April 22, 1946, Serial No. 663,983 4 Claims. (01. 246-415) The invention relates generally to railway track construction and primarily seeks to provide a novel turnout composedof units adaptable for being assembled in cooperative relation to formeither a right turnout or a left turnout.

While adaptable to more general usage the invention is designed primarily for use in mines wherein the arrangement of trackage frequently is changed incidental to the making of new entries and the opening of new rooms or galleries. In installations of this character, it is desirable that the trackage can be readily laid, taken up and relaid, and in the course of such relaying it frequently becomes necessary to change the directions of turns. In the presentl known turncuts the trackage units are so formed that they cannot be universally employed in the formation of right or left turnouts, and it is, therefore, necessary to have on hand extra stock of right and left units so that selections can be made according to th direction of turnout found necessary at a given point.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a universal or reversible turnout in which the units of which the turnout is composed are so constructed that they can be cooperatively arranged to form a right or left turnout, thereby eliminating the necessity for carrying into the mine any trackage units adaptable for use only in a right or a left turnout.

More specifically, the invention resides in providing a reversible turnout comprising an outer or straight stock rail and a straight closure rail each subject to being laid to the right or to the left, a curved closure rail subject to being laid so as to curve to the right or to the left, a frog with which ends of said closure rails connect and which can be angled to the right or to the left, continuation rails leading from the frog in the straightaway and turn directions, an inner or curved stock rail specially designed so that it can be turned end for end accordingly as a right or left turnout is assembled, and switch points forming continuations of the closure rails and disposed between and cooperating with the stock rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inner or curved stock rail which is symmetrical about its middle .point so that it can be turned end for end to curve to the right or to the left and universally and practicall fit into an assembled right or left turnout. Another object of the invention is to provide an inner or curved stock rail which is symmetrical about its middle from end to end and includes a curved central portion which is symmetrical about its middle, identical straight tangential portions extending from the ends of said curved portion and adapted to lie opposite the switch points or the frog in an assembled turnout ac- 2 cordingly as said turnout is assembled to turn to the right or to the left, and identical straight end portions slightly angled with respect to th tangential portions so that one thereof will line up with the straight stock rail according to the direction of assembly of the turnout.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a turnout embodying the invention, a turnout to the right being shown.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the turnout units of Figure 1 rearranged to form a turnout to the left.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner or curved stock rail per se.

In the drawing, there is illustrated an example of a reversible turnout including an outer or straight stock rail 5, an inner or curved stock rail 6, and a straight switch comprising inner and outer straight switch points designed 1 and 8 respectively. p

The turnout also includes a frog 9, a curved closure rail 10 connecting at one end with one frog rail section and at its other end with the switch rail 8, and a straight closure rail ll connecting at one end with the other frog rail section and its other end with the remaining switch rail 1. Continuation rails l2 and Is also connect with the frog in the manner illustrated.

The various rails are supported on suitably arranged ties l4, being removably secured thereon bysuitable securing devices I5, and the frog 9 may be formed on a plate It which is suitably secured upon ties in the manner clearly illustrated.

The switch points 1 and 8 are swingably mounted in the usual manner as at I! at the end of the respective closure rails l I and I0, and said points are connected at their free ends as at H3. The connected ends of the switch points are connected by a thrust link 19 with the usual swingably mounted switch lever 28 which can be manipulated to place the switch points in position for causing a car or a connected series or cars to make a turn, or to a position in which the switch point i will engage the inner or curved stock rail 6 and cause said car or cars to promiddle, and extendingfrom the respective ends of the curved portion CD are identical straight tangentialportions B50 and l 3,E, one of which is adapted to lie opposite the switch and the other opposite the frog accordingly as the turnout assembled as a right or left turnout. Identical short length straight sections AB and E-E extend from the respective ends of the tangential sections B--C and D--E, and each short straight section AB and E-F is'angle'd slightly in the inward direction with respectto the tangential section from which it extends in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Thus 9 structed, the inner or curved stock rail 6 is univ'ersal in form and can be turned end for end to provide an inner or curved stocl; rail curved to the right or to the left accordingly as the turnout is "assembled as a right or left turnout.

By forming the tangential rail sections 13-0 and D -E in the manner stated, proper cooperation with the switch and frog is assured regardless of the direction in which the turnout is laid. Also, by forming the straight end sections AB and E-F of rather short length the divergence in natural alignment of the two ends is held at a minimum. Each end is bent to equal offsets from' its adjacent part, thus making its divergence from the theoretical natural offset only half of the original divergencies of the two ends. For practical purposes, this departure from true theoretical alignment is negligible and the inner or curved stock rail 6 is thus made absolutely symmetrical, and consequently reversible as previously described.

It will be apparent by comparison of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings that should it be desired to disassemble the right turnout illustrated in Figure 1 and reassemble the same as a left turnout as illustrated in Figure 2, it is only necessary to follow the procedure hereinafter outlined, without introduction of any new trackage units or any reshaping of existing units. The outer or straight stock rail 5 will be placed at the right, and the straight closure rail II at the left instead of in the reversed positions illustrated in Figure 1. The curved closure rail will be turned end for end and directed toward the left. The frog will be angled toward the left and placed with its receiving rail portions aligned with the adjacent ends of the closure rails I! and I8, and

the points i and 8 will be placed with their delivery ends swingably aligned with the ends of said closure rails ii and It and with their points in position for cooperating properly with the stock rails 5. and 6, and, of course, the inner or curved stock rail will be turned end for end so as to curve to the left as shown in Figure 2-instead of to the right as in Figure 1.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reversible turnout comprising, a straight stock rail and a parallel straight closure rail each adaptable for being laid to the right or to the left without inversion, a closure rail symmetrically curved from end to end so as to be adaptable to be laid so as to curve to the right or to the left without inversion, a frog with which ends of said closure rails connect and which is adaptable to be angled to the right or to the left without inversion, continuation rails leading from the frog in straightaway and turn directions, a curved stock rail shaped to be symmetrical about its middle and turnable end for end without inversion accordingly as a right or left turnout is assembled, and switch points forming continuations of the closure rails and disposed between and cooperating with the stock rails.

2. A reversible turnout comprising, a straight stool; rail and a parallel straight closure rail each adaptable for being laid to the right or to the left without inversion, a curved closure rail, a frog with which ends of said closure rails connect and which is adaptable to be angled to the right or to the left without inversion, continuation rails leading from the frog in straightaway and turn directions, a curved stock rail shaped to be symmetrical about its middle and from end to end, and switch points forming continuations of the closure rails and disposed between and cooperating with the stock rails, each of said curved closure rail and said curved stock rail being turnable end for end Without inversion accordingly as a right or left turnout is assembled, and said curved stock rail including a curved central portion which is symmetrical about its middle, identical straight tangential portions extending from the ends of said curved portion and adapted to lie opposite the switch points or the frog accordingly as the turnout is assembled to the right or to the left, and identical straight end portions slightly angled with respect to the tangential portions so that one thereof will line up with the straight stock rail according to the direction of assembly of the turnout.

3. A curved stock rail subject to reversible assembly in a right or left turnout and comprising a curved central portion symmetrical about its middle, identical straight portions extending tangentially from the respective ends of said central portion, and identical straight end portions extending endwise from the respective tangential portions and each angled slightly inwardly with respect to the tangential portion from which it extends.

4. A reversible turnout comprising, a straight stock rail and a parallel straight closure rail each adaptable for being laid to the right or the left without inversion, a closure rail symmetrically curved from end to end so as to be adaptable to be laid so as to curve to the right or to the left without inversion, a frog with which ends of said closure rails connect and which is symmetrically formed so as to be adaptable to be angled to, the right or the left without inversion, continuation rails leading from the frog in straightaway and turn directions, a curved stool; rail shapedto be symmetrical about its middle and from end to end so as to be turnable end for end while upright and without inversion for a turn toward the right or a turn toward the left during assembly of the turnout, and switch points. forming continuations ofthe closure rails and disposed between and cooperating with the stock rails.

AMES; HA KEL nsrnnnness errEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

